4 Social Media Trends Helping NFP Expand their Influencers Online

Four social media trends helping not-for-profit expand their influencers online

Discover some of the most exciting and innovative ways to engage your social media followers and harness the power of your supporters.

Like most not-for-profit organisations, you’re probably already on Facebook and Twitter … and may even have started experimenting with Snapchat and Instagram.

That’s great! But are you really connecting with your audience? And could you do more to empower them to amplify your message online?

You sure can. And understanding these four social media trends will help ensure your not-for-profit continues to reach more people every day with the message you want them to hear.

1. Live video content is on the rise

Live streaming was previously limited to smaller platforms such as Periscope, but with the advent of Facebook Live, the ability to stream video is now available to any non-profit with a Facebook profile. And it’s completely free.

According to Social Media Examiner, 14% of marketers experimented with live video in 2016 and that number is expected to rise dramatically throughout 2017.

Not-for-profits can take advantage of live streaming by sharing inspiring messages from the CEO, thanking donors for their support of a recent campaign, giving a tour of your facilities so donors can see their support at work, or hosting a live Q&A session to help supporters feel more connected.

2. Virtual reality is no longer just an experiment

It’s an innovative way to inspire giving and it’s been suggested that immersive storytelling can actually increase empathy in the not for profit sector.

From trips to Syrian refugee camps to touring places of devastation, virtual reality pioneers hope that more in-depth perspectives will inspire viewers to give more generously. The technology isn’t just limited to VR headsets – now 360-degree videos can also be shared on social media, offering a unique way for your audience to become more immersed in the work and mission you support, and get as close to the action as possible without physically being there.

3. Employees and volunteers are becoming a powerful online force

No one knows and understands the work you do better than your employees and volunteers. In fact, they’re most likely already posting regularly about your organisation.

And so, it makes sense to further equip and educate them to be your voice within their social media networks.

If you haven’t done so already, invite your employees and volunteers to follow you on your social platforms and give them the opportunity to suggest content that may be relevant (e.g. photos, stories, news).

We all know you can’t force advocacy, so remember that your employees and volunteers are only going to share your social media content if its engaging, interesting, and relevant to their friends and family.

4. Influencers are becoming more important than ever

Influencers are sometimes celebrities or powerful figures – but mostly just ordinary citizens – who are passionate about what you do, and have a wide circle of friends and followers on social networks.

Cultivating strong influencer relationships with the right people can pay much larger dividends than social media advertising, because influencers have a natural and authentic connection to their followers, which means they’ve got real power to amplify your message.

So how do you find and develop relationships with influencers? Fortunately there’s a new technology for not-for-profits called Attentive.ly that makes this job much easier.

Attentive.ly helps you understand what topics, hashtags, images, and videos your current supporters are interested in, and combines data from your existing database and more than 100 social networks to help you locate and engage with key influencers.

Once you know who your influencers are, you can choose to interact with them in real-time, or reach out and invite them to help share your message in ways that work best for them and their audience.